Independent Academic Research Studies (IARS) and the Restorative Justice Council are pleased to invite you to a joint half-day seminar titled Restorative justice in Europe: What can it do for young people?

The seminar will launch the IARS report "Restorative Justice and the Secure Estate: Alternatives for Young People". The report is based on a three year research programme that looked at the use of restorative justice practices in prisons. The event and the IARS report is part of the "Mediation and Restorative Justice in Prison Settings" project (MEREPS), funded by EU Grant agreement no JLS/2008/JPEN/015-30-CE-0267156/0039

The author of the report and IARS Director, Dr. Theo Gavrielides, will present the findings. Other speakers include Bill Kerslake (Head of Effective Sentences YJB) and Rebecca Newby (NOMS Directorate of Commissioning and Commercial). Delegates will be given a complimentary hard copy of the IARS report and information on IARS' new research programmes.

Borbala Fellegi, Foresee Director said: “England and Wales with its relatively decentralised criminal justice system and the high number of innovative and passionate practitioners experimenting RJ practices has been in the forefront of RJ developments for several decades. Therefore, it was evident to include UK in the MEREPS consortium. What was not evident (just hoped) is that a research team led by Dr. Theo Gavrielides would provide such a comprehensive overview on the state of affairs and the main policy issues raised by the current practice of RJ in the UK secure estate.

Thanks to the balanced approach of the report and the high emphasis put on the practitioners’ own (sometimes indeed critical) views, the MEREPS project has become enriched by a thorough research work that very well highlights the way forward”.

Graham Robb, Board Member of the Youth justice Board for England and Wales said: “This report is an important contribution to thinking about what sort of secure estate provision we want for the young people who are placed into custody. It is also a chance to restate the importance of maintaining a separate secure estate for under 18s with a focus on development and learning for return to the community”.

The event will be held on 1 December 12:00 - 16:30 at the The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund, The County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7PB.